An orthodontic device that uses micro-vibrations to quicken the movement of teeth in patients with braces is ready to be launched in the U.S. next month. In the meantime, its maker, OrthoAccel Technologies, is looking to raise $14.1 million.
The company’s first product, AcceleDent, is a portable, rechargeable device that uses a mouthpiece to deliver pulsating, low-magnitude forces that accelerate the bone remodeling in the mouth induced by braces.
Orthodontists fit patients for the device and then they take it home and wear it for 20 minutes a day during treatment. A U.S. clinical trial demonstrated that the device accelerated tooth movement 106 percent during the initial alignment phase and 38 percent to 50 percent during closure of extraction space.
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It’s compatible with all existing orthodontic technologies and is already being marketed in about 16 countries, according to OrthoAccel.
AcceleDent received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance in November and will formally launch in the U.S. next month at the American Association of Orthodontists annual conference.
The company just publicly announced a $10 capital investment led by HealthpointCapital Partners and S3 Ventures. However, recently filed U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission documents reveal that it’s raised $11.1 million of a planned $14.1 million from 20 investors.
The global dental equipment and consumables market is estimated to grow 7 percent annually and reach $27.6 billion by 2015, according to a report from MarketsandMarkets. High demand for better orthodontic products is one of the biggest catalysts for growth in the U.S. and Europe, the report posits. However, AcceleDent is an individually fitted device that patients take home, which means it could add significant cost to treatment.
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OrthoAccel was formed in 2007 based on technology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has grown from 10 to 28 employees between 2011 and 2012, according the Houston Business Journal.